


I Would Give The World To You

by kitarin



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas Tree, Happy Ending, M/M, New Year's Eve, Post-Game(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 03:03:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13226778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitarin/pseuds/kitarin
Summary: The first new year's eve... After.(Noct, you can't decide to decorate for Yule, throw a party and also have it be New Year's all in one night-)(...You can if you're King.)Could be seen as rebirth ending or episode Ignis extra verse... but either way, it's the warm and happy conclusion I believe in.





	I Would Give The World To You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tenshinokorin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tenshinokorin/gifts), [Ekala](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ekala/gifts), [hakaseheart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hakaseheart/gifts), [nitohkousuke](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nitohkousuke/gifts), [llamajoy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/llamajoy/gifts).



  
_o/~_ _'Cause in the end we have each other_ _  
__And that's at least one thing worth living for ~/o_

 

  
“Your Majesty.”

“...you know you don't need to call me that when we're alone, Iggy.” Noctis Lucis Caelum, the uncrowned 114th King of Lucis, turned from where he'd been gazing out the window to give his advisor a warm little half-smile of amusement.

“Already a habit,” Ignis answered, one eyebrow quirking in a teasing manner. “Assuming you haven't eaten anything yet today?”

Noctis shrugged a little and stepped away from the window, perching instead on the edge of his desk, careful not to upset the pile of papers shuffled off to one side a bit haphazardly. “You got me. What's in the bag?” He nodded towards the white paper bag in Ignis' hand curiously.  
  
“Chocolate croissant...” Pausing as if the very revelation caused him sincere effort, Ignis held out a tall mug in his other hand. “And cocoa, extra marshmallows.”  
  
“Iggy! You're spoiling me!” The king's face lit up in genuine delight as he reached to snatch the bag from his friend's hand, but Ignis was too swift, pulling it from the brush of his fingers with a noise of admonishment.

“I will first extract a promise that you'll show up to the kitchens for a proper meal within the next few hours,” Ignis insisted, continuing to hold the bag just out of reach.  
  
“Yeahyeah, of course,” Noctis agreed and it wasn't until his mouth was entirely stuffed full of pastry that he actually comprehended the rest of Ignis' words. “Kithin? No thit don?”  
  
Ignis sighed and reached to brush the crumbs off of Noct's shirt, knowing full well that he'd never act like this where anyone else could see them. But here, alone? _May some things never change._ He'd allow his charge... his _king_... to have that little bit of personal space for himself. “I won't have time for a proper lunch meeting today, Noct. I'll be supervising the entire extended kitchen staff for tonight's event.”  
  
Noctis sighed and nodded, licking the chocolate from his fingers one by one. “Ah, yeah, you're right. I bet it's gonna be crazy down there today.”  
  
“Understatement,” Ignis handed him the mug of cocoa, lightly brushed his own hands off on his pants and then reached to remove a small slip of paper from the inside pocket of his jacket. “Noctis, you invited the _entire_ kingdom-”  
  
“And then some-”  
  
“-to a party that we are largely unprepared to host and we shall be incredibly lucky if we do not run out of food before midnight.”  
  
“Bullshit,” Noctis laughed, resettling on the corner of his desk again and outright grinning this time. “I know what's in the royal holdings. And when I put out word of a year-end celebration, I made it clear that everyone ought to come together to make it happen. They will. They'll come _and_ they'll help, just the way everyone did to turn the power on...” He shrugged instead of finishing the sentence. _...when there wasn't any light._ “Everyone's worked tirelessly in the rebuilding efforts all year. They, _we_ , deserve a night off, a celebration, to ring in the new year together.”

“And yet you still haven't let us hold a proper coronation ceremony.”

“Eh.”  
  
“It's been almost a year since-”  
  
“Specs.”  
  
“Noctis.”  
  
The two fell silent for a breath, Ignis' eyebrows furrowed and Noct's lifted in feigned innocence.  
  
“Ask me next year, maybe.” Another shrug, as sincere as it was playful.  
  
“It's the last day of the year.”

“Then ask me tomorrow. No – wait – ask me in two days. I'm taking tomorrow off.” Ignis sighed in exasperation, but his green eyes were twinkling with affection behind his glasses and Noctis continued before he could find the heart to continue the argument. “So, what's the list?”  
  
“Things you ought to attend to before readying yourself for the event.”

“Thought this was not an actual work day?”

Ignis took two steps forward to hand Noctis the small slip of paper and stayed close enough to let the smaller man lean against him comfortably as he read over it.

 

 _Approve placement & positions of ballroom trees_  
  
_String lights on center tree_  
  
_Taste testing_  
  
_Sign permit for Hammerhead explosives_

 

 

“...these are all things my Dad...” The words trailed off when Noct's voice cracked on the word and Ignis finished the sentiment for him.  
  
“Indeed, they all need the king's approval, so be sure that you see to them before readying yourself for tonight. Iris will have your wardrobe laid out in your room by sunset.” Ignis brought his hand up to squeeze Noct's shoulder and Noctis took advantage of the gesture, turning to press his face into Ignis' chest for a moment, comforted by the familiar warmth and support.

“...sure you can't stick around for a little while?” he found himself asking, even though he already knew what the answer would be.  
  
“Hurry along to the ballroom and I'll see you for lunch,” Ignis answered, squeezing his shoulder once more before sliding out of the king's grasp. “Wouldn't want to let them overcook the shrimp or the cakes.”

Ignis was gone a moment later, leaving Noctis alone for what he knew would probably be the last quiet moment of his day. He held the still-warm mug between both hands as he sipped at it, wandering back over to the window and looking down at Insomnia from a great height. A few inches of snow had fallen the night before, blanketing the city and softening the lines of broken buildings in the distance. It would take a long time for them to restore all of the damage that had been done, but even in a year's time, they'd accomplished so much by working together. No wall and no war and less military meant more hands to clear roads and plant crops, to rebuild houses and schools, to hook up electricity and get transit running again... and all of this and more had made the days of the last year fly swiftly by. Noctis and his friends' skills were ever in demand and as such, some days it felt as if he only saw everyone in passing – over a ten minute meal or collapsed side by side on the couch at the end of a sixteen hour day.

He was eternally grateful and yet ridiculously frustrated.

Even now, he couldn't spare the time to wallow over it, though. There was a list that needed his attention, and hopefully, his friends would be waiting on the other end of it to lift a glass with him tonight. His phone buzzed as if responding to his thoughts and when he pulled it out of his pocket, he wasn't surprised to see that it was Prompto. Noctis smiled a little goofily at the screen as he answered the tiny snowflakes and chocobo stickers with a few of his own and then he downed the last of his cocoa before heading out the door.

The Citadel had already been lightly decorated for the season, with shiny gold and silver garlands, fresh pine boughs and the single tree they'd hauled into the grand foyer a few weeks ago, but as Noctis grew closer to the entrance to the Citadel's ballroom, he was surprised by how many more lights had been strung up practically overnight... far more lights than his father had ever ordered in the past. _Tiny little star-shaped lights?_ None of them were actually turned on yet, though, and as tempted as he was to follow the string and find out who was behind the end of it-

An enormous CRASH snagged Noctis' attention, his heart jumping into his throat, and he ran the length of the hallway, skidding to a stop at the top of the stairs that led down to the foyer and the front entrance. “Everyone okay?” he called out to the Crownsguard stationed there. _...are those champagne bottles rolling across the marble tile?_  
  
“I thought this was supposed to be shoveled already?!” a familiar voice bellowed a moment before Aranea Highwind marched through the front doors, two Glaives hustling behind her to pick up the scattered bottles.

Noctis bent to pick up the last bottle as he reached the bottom of the stairs – Altissian _Cieli Stellati_ – another old family tradition. “Wow. How the hell did you even get ahold of-”  
  
“Really?” Aranea gave him her most unimpressed eyebrow raise as she took the bottle out of his hands and examined it for cracks. “Tell Ignis there's only one broken and I'm not taking responsibility for the weather.”

“Everyone's really okay, though?” Noctis persisted, relaxing only when she nodded in answer. He didn't even need to wave a hand to Crownsguard, as they'd already disappeared and reappeared with a broom, a bucket and a mop. “What's going on?'  
  
“Crew that was shoveling the front entrance abandoned that to de-ice the road in front of the Citadel. Front gate blew something when the tree truck slipped on the ice and clipped a corner – it was smoking when we drove by. The gate, not the trees. Don't worry your pretty face over it. Prompto's got his head buried in the wiring right now.”  
  
“...do you need me to-”  
  
“You should get your ass out front and help Gladio with those trees. I've got this.”  
  
As brusque and to the point as ever and yet Noctis could tell that she was enjoying ordering a bunch of glaives around, maybe even enjoying being a part of the festivities – not that she'd ever admit it. She even had the nerve to order royalty around, but only in the way his real friends would actually dare. It was... _nice_. “Tell Specs the broken one is for good luck,” he shrugged as he walked with her towards the door, where a second attempt was being made to wheel the enormous cart of bottles slowly and carefully inside.  
  
Aranea hmphed softly as she directed the glaives towards the kitchens. “Careful of the icy patch,” her shoulder purposefully bumped Noct's as she brushed past him. “Better a bottle than your head.”  
  
Noctis turned to toss a smile over his shoulder, but only received her back in response. “Thanks, Aranea,” he called after her, and then stepped quite carefully through the doorway and out into the cold midday sunlight.

“Finally!” Gladio set down the shovel he'd been using to clear a wider path to the front entrance against an enormous bucket of salt, somehow managing to both glare and grin at Noctis in the same instant. “Thought you were gonna leave me to do all the work myself.”  
  
“Whaaat?” Noct drawled back in mock indignation, crossing his arms over his chest to hide a shiver. “I figured you could easily manhandle a few trees into place on your own.”

Gladio laughed at him, tugging off the red scarf he'd been wearing and winding it around his king instead. “Iggy'll kill me if he sees you out here with no jacket on. Come on, help me lift this last one. It's a little over 20 feet, but I bet we can handle it together.” He tugged the end of the scarf on the last word and then gave Noctis a gentle shove towards the truck. “Help me get the bottom over my shoulder and then grab the other end as it comes out.”  
  
As he braced the prickly branches between his bare hands and inhaled the rich scent of fir tree, Noct's memory sucker punched him. Suddenly, he was five years old again, chasing Gladio in between the trees as they were being hauled in and set up in the stands by their two fathers, ducking under strings of lights and eating cookies that Ignis had snuck them out of the kitchen. The images were blurry, but sharp in smell and taste and the echo of laughter, and his breath caught in his chest, already tight from the cold air.

“Got it, Noct?”  
  
Gladio's voice was a lifeline back to the present and Noctis quickly shook off the feeling, reaching up to shoulder the top end of the tree and almost eating a branch in the process. “Hey, Gladdy...” he started casually once they'd heaved and hauled and struggled the thing all the way to the ballroom. He was arms deep in tree, face smushed into the needles, holding steady as Gladio set it carefully on its pin... which maybe made it was a little easier to ask the question. “Do you remember chasing each other around the trees while our Dads were setting them up?”

“'Course I do,” Gladio chuckled a little at the memory, tugging on Noct's arm before stepping back to check out their work. What he definitely wouldn't tell Noctis is that he also remembered the few years afterwards, when the young prince was too weak to stand long enough to roughhouse in such a manner. And then Regis was too frail to carry trees anymore. And now- _Here's to hauling trees for years to come._ “Worthy of being a centerpiece?” He nodded up at the full height of the perfectly shaped tree.  
  
Noctis spiraled away from the tree, noting all the smaller ones placed around the edges of the room, each already strung in white lights with meticulous precision. Unlit and undecorated, the center tree rose gloriously against the backdrop of golden chandeliers and tall windows, sunlight gleaming into the room, and Noctis suddenly understood why his father had always kept this task for himself. “...definitely.”

The single word was soft and almost reverent and then Gladio slapped him on the ass, the resounding crack echoing around the enormous room and completely obliterating the moment's spell. “Yeah, I think they'd be proud of us too.”

Blushing sharply, Noctis glanced around, but there was no one else in the room to see them, to see the king as he chased his shield between the trees, trying and failing to enact some revenge. Instead, he ended up out of breath for his efforts, burdened with an armful of lights and a nudge towards the ladder beside the tree.

“Time to finish up that shoveling before someone or something else takes a spill,” Gladio waved and disappeared out the door, just a little smug in his victory, quite aware that he'd left the king a little worked up.

Noctis huffed in defeat and turned to face the tree, peering up at the top of dubiously before starting to climb the ladder. His dad had definitely always started at the top, but just as he was wondering how the hell he was supposed to do that without climbing up and down about a thousand times, his phone went off with a buzz against his hip bone.  
  
This time, the line of symbols included a snowflake, a fire, a lightning bolt, a crying face, a shooting star and a heart...?  
  
_...what?_

Trying to balance the phone, the pile of lights and himself, all while typing an answer to Prompto, proved almost impossible, and for a moment, the ladder wobbled precariously underneath him and Noctis wobbled with it.  
  
“Whoa there, Noct!” Prompto's voice called up to him as the ladder steadied and Noctis aborted his reply, slipping his phone into his pocket and looking down at his best friend who'd arrived just in time to prevent a disaster he'd almost caused. “Why didn't you lock the ladder first?!” His expression was halfway between panicked and relieved and the large smudge of dirt across one cheek somehow only made him look more endearing.

Noctis wanted to drop the lights, descend the ladder and kiss him soundly, but, of course, now there were people filtering in and out of the room, setting up tables and chairs around the edges in between the decorations. His teeth sank into his bottom lip.  
  
“Or at least get someone to steady it? Don't you need someone to wheel you around the tree or something? I mean, I've never decorated a tree this big before, but I figure...” Prompto gestured one hand in a whirly kind of way and Noctis couldn't help a soft laugh. “It's pretty difficult to do it alone...?”

Noctis smiled at him, shrugging the lights over one shoulder and turning towards the tree with steely-eyed determination. “You're here now, so... help me out? And tell me what the hell happened out there this morning?” 

“Well, good news is, I already rigged a temporary fix, though we'll have to take a serious look at-”

Time stalled between them as Prompto explained in detail the events surrounding the truck's minor accident, the overall weather and road conditions across the city and in the surrounding areas after the storm, what part of the gate had been damaged, how he'd isolated the problem fast enough to save most of it and reconstructed the wiring – and all the while, Noctis let the sound of his voice lull him into the relaxed focus needed to string the lights. He never even needed to tell Prompto when to move the ladder and before he realized it, he'd reached both the bottom of the tree and the end of the story.

“Thanks, Prom,” Noctis greeted him as he stepped off the ladder, letting the blond steady him for a moment, both hands warm on his shoulders. “For this and that.”

“Anytime,” Prompto grinned back, face coloring when Noctis lifted a hand to rub a thumb against the smudge on his cheek. “But I'm super far behind on the rest of the lighting, so I gotta-”  
  
“Ah, you're the one hanging lights everywhere?”

“Haha, yeah, I hope that's okay? I've always wanted to decorate my house like this, but we never really had the money? So this is so beyond my wildest dreams, decking out the _Citadel_! But I promise, I won't get too carried away,” he insisted, but the giddy brightness in his eyes said otherwise. “So I gotta run-”  
  
_What I wouldn't give for five minutes alone right now?_ “Not until you help me with the star – unless you _want_ me climbing that ladder again without you here?” Noct's expression was almost a pout, and decidedly not at all regal.  
  
Prompto saw right through the words to the truth behind them – an easy excuse to spend a few more minutes in each other's company, and he followed Noctis over to a stack of boxes with absolutely no hesitation. “Star's the best part.”

The ancient Lucian star had its own specialized box, which they carefully removed from the stack together, and then Noctis sifted through the layers of tissue paper. A pair of five-pointed filagree stars set at opposite angles made up the outside, and then, suspended between them, a small round crystal ball hiding a miniature motor. When it was turned on, the entire center spun in a lazy circle, sending tiny flickers of golden light all across the walls and ceiling. “Yeah, it's my favorite part too,” Noctis answered wistfully as he held it carefully in his hands. “Plug in the lights, Prom?”  
  
Noctis climbed the ladder one last time, slowly and steadily even once Prompto returned to hang onto it, and reached out for the end of the cord of lights to connect it to the star.

And nothing happened.

“I... I don't know what's wrong with it...” Noct's voice wavered, his expression sliding into worry and dismay as he gently shook the lifeless star.

Prompto could hear the absolutely crushed heart in the way his best friend's words trailed off, and forgetting all about steadying the ladder, he climbed up it two steps at a time until he was at the top too, wedged in precariously beside Noctis. “Deep breath, Noct – lemme tinker with it before ya freak out?”

Noctis was too upset to even answer, unplugging the star and holding it gently as Prompto popped open the center of it, muttering to himself as he touched the tiny wires and their connectors one by one until- “Ah! That's gotta be it, loose bit. Hang on. If I just-” He bent over the star for a moment and then reached to plug it back in, whooping loudly when it lit up in Noct's hands.  
  
The king's eyes lit up too, reflecting the tiny lights twinkling out at them from the restored heirloom, and with Prompto's hand warm on his back to steady him, Noctis reached out and set it into place atop the tree, breathing out gratefully, “Thanks, I...don't know what I...”  
  
“Perfect,” Prompto beamed and, uncaring if anyone saw them, closed the small space between to brush his lips against Noct's in a soft and sweet kiss that lingered just a little longer than necessary. “But I really do have a lot left to do, Noct, if you want it to be just as perfect for tonight, haha!”

Noctis didn't try to stop him from escaping this time and instead pulled the slip of paper out of his pocket, followed by his phone, groaning when he realized it was already far past a proper lunchtime. Leaving the rest of the tree decorating to the Citadel staff, he walked as quickly as seemed befitting the king towards the kitchen, smiling and nodding at the many people that were now scurrying about every which way, shoulders lifting and back straightening with each acknowledgement.  
  
Aromas both savory and sweet teased Noctis' nose before he even made it through the doors to the kitchen and Ignis was far too busy to chastise him much for his tardiness. In fact, his advisor was a little more frazzled than Noctis was used to seeing him, rushing back and forth across the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, a purple couerl print apron attempting to keep some of the flour off of his clothing. It wasn't doing much for the rest of him, though, as Ignis' hair was messy and streaked with white in one spot, as were his glasses, as if he'd hastily pushed both out of the way in one swoop. Next to where he was simultaneously running three mixers, a tray was laid out with a bowl of soup and a hunk of fresh bread. “Your own fault if it's cold,” he admonished lightly, flipping each mixer on before turning to the line of cooks behind him.  
  
“Sorry I'm late,” Noctis slid onto the stool at the end of the counter and put his hands around the bowl. _Still warm._ Of course, Ignis had planned on him being a little late. Of course, Ignis had hidden his daily vegetables inside something salty and delicious and hot on a very cold day. “Seems to get busier and crazier by the hour.”  
  
Ignis didn't have time to answer, as he was too busy taste-testing the filling for the crab-stuffed shrimp and the consistency of the risotto, and the crispiness of some weird flaky meat pocket thing, all of which he passed to Noctis for his further approval. “The meats won't be finished until the final hour and the cake's already gone to be frosted, so you'll simply have to trust my judgement on them.”  
  
Noctis laughed around a mouthful of bread with a shake of his head as a timer went off behind them and Ignis moved to pull a tray from the oven. “You're making _tarts_?” His eyes widened in surprise, knowing that making something so individual and fussy for such a large group, especially when he'd never claimed the recipe as perfected, was... unusual. He tried to reach out to snatch one off the hot tray, but Ignis swiftly batted his hand away before he could burn his fingers.

“Not now, Noct – they must cool first.” He paused each of the mixers in succession before reaching for a box, small and silver and never seen before, and as if there was nothing remarkable about it at all, sprinkled something into each bowl. “...this morning I received a rare and unusual ingredient by courier from Tenebrae. I found that I... couldn't resist testing out a new recipe.”  
  
“Tenebrae?” Noctis slid off the stool and came around the counter suspiciously, but Ignis had already closed up the box and sealed the front with a tiny key. “Are you _serious_?” Noctis asked incredulously of the treasure chest, stuck somewhere between shock, awe and hilarity. “Did... did _Ravus_ send that to you?”

“Indeed, he did,” Ignis smiled and nodded, unable, or perhaps unwilling, to hide how pleased he was about it. “And it's a rare thing grown only in the Fleuret family gardens, which he's been cultivating for several years now.”  
  
“You think it's the missing piece?” Noctis was nearly bouncing on his toes now, itching to taste one, but there was no way Ignis was going to let him sneak a hand onto that tray.  
  
“You'll find out tonight,” Ignis set the mixers to run again before bumping his hip against Noct's. “It's about time for you to head back to your room and ready yourself. Sunset is not even an hour away and as grand an entrance as I expect you'll make, you wouldn't want it to be a late one.”  
  
Noctis bumped him back a little harder than needed, anticipation and nerves starting to fray his edges. _Am I really only an hour or two away from making a speech in front of the entire kingdom?_ “Right. I... I'll see you at the party, then?”  
  
Hearing the hesitation in his king's voice, Ignis reached and caught Noctis by the wrist as he turned to go, letting it slide until their hands were loosely clasped. “I have the utmost faith in you, Your Majesty,” he intoned with a tight squeeze and a soft smile.  
  
Rolling his eyes and sighing dramatically at the title, Noctis still squeezed back before pulling his hand away, hoping desperately that he wouldn't let anyone down tonight.

Alone in his Citadel chambers, Noctis found himself surprised at what was laid out on the bed for him. Iris was currently in charge of outfitting the Kingsglaive, the Crownsguard and, of course, Noctis himself, but all decisions for something like this would have also passed through Ignis. Therefore, he'd automatically assumed a pressed suit and tie, pinstripe, a miniature version of someone he could never be.

Noctis was not his father, and he knew that no one _expected_ him to be his father, but... he couldn't help imitating him a little, and most of all... not ever wanting to feel like he'd let him down.

_Because he believed in me, always. Believed in me being my own person, my true self, and... a good king._

A smile curved the king's lips upwards as he ran his fingertips over the gold silk of the shirt and the red velvet of the sash, the tiny studs in the black pants and the supple and the graceful fall of the sleeveless cloak. It was beautiful and unusual and regal and … perfect. Noctis wanted to put it on, stride purposefully into that room full of people, and-

One finger caught in the edge of the cloak and he pulled it back, realizing how much tree sap was still stuck to both him and his clothing. The bathroom mirror revealed that he was, in fact, a royal mess: disheveled hair and sweat-creased shirt, tiny needles stuck to his clothes in awkward places and flour dusted across one hip where he'd leaned over the counter trying to swipe a tart. He dissolved with a snort of undignified laughter, stripped out of his clothes and stumbled into the shower, turning the water hot.

_They all believe in me._

_I'm not alone in this._  
  
Leaning his head back against the black tile, Noctis let the water slide over him as his eyes closed and his mind drifted over his trusted friends... his adored lovers, their warm words and their comforting touches. Gladdy's hand playfully against his ass, Ignis' hand warmly squeezing his own, Prom's soft and lingering kiss... They'd all lifted him up and yet left him wanting, and Noctis had no shame in each of their names passing over his lips as he curled a hand around his arousal and sought release in hard, quick strokes.

He dallied longer than he'd intended, surprised that no interruptions came, but his phone showed no messages as he toweled the water out of his hair. The silence was too much after the day's noise and Noctis turned some music on his phone as he readied, humming along softly as he dressed and fussed over his hair. He heard the door open behind him as he was sliding a metal circle of stars onto one finger and he turned, the cloak swishing around him in a very pleasing way.  
  
“Iggy?” he called out, expecting his advisor, but surprised and just as happy when it turned out to be Gladio, impeccably dressed in exactly the sort of fabulous suit that the normally shirtless shield loved surprising people with on grand occasions. Noctis whistled and grinned at the reflection in the mirror as Gladio came up behind him, one hand landing on his shoulder as the other came around in front of him to present a rather large black box.  
  
“I went digging in the vault this afternoon,” he offered in explanation. “After shoveling.”  
  
Noctis quirked one eyebrow with a lack of understanding, but Gladio only squeezed his shoulder until he gave in and lifted the lid. His hands went immediately clammy as he stared at the... thing... and he shook his head immediately. “I can't wear that.”  
  
“It's not your dad's,” Gladio let Noctis shrug him off and slip away from the mirror, but he removed the golden crown, set with tiny red gems, and held it out to him. “Older than dirt, Ignis said when I showed him, and if he didn't recognize it?” Gladio made a dismissive noise, but when he got no response, he tried again. “Spent an hour polishing it up for you. Noct.”

His hands were shaking, Noctis realized, and he balled them into fists as he felt Gladio come up behind him again. His eyes squeezed shut as he felt the weight of it settle into place and he didn't fight when Gladio's strong hands on his shoulders turned him back to face the mirror.

“Not gonna force you, Noct. It's not a coronation. You don't even need one, far as I'm concerned. But...” Gladio's fingers dug hard into Noct's shoulders, voice tight with emotion. “I'm your Shield. And you're my King. And I wanted you to know that...see it and feel it... before you stand in front of all those people tonight.”

Gladio's arms surrounded Noctis, pulling him back tight and safe for a moment before letting go, and with a hard swallow, Noctis let his eyes slide open to see them in the mirror together. Gladio's easy smile over his shoulder calmed his nerves and Noctis let out a long, slow breath. “...I think I'm ready to go now.”

The buzz of excitement was immediately palpable beyond the door of Noct's chambers, as if he could feel the sheer presence of the large amount of people gathered in and around the Citadel. All of the tiny stars were now lit, drifting dreamily back and forth between silver and gold, guiding towards the ballroom and the new year.

Ignis and Prompto were waiting for them just outside the door, glasses of champagne in their hands and smiles on their faces. They shared a wordless toast, and with half a glass sitting warm in his gut and all of them at his side, Noctis strode tall and proud into the ballroom to greet his kingdom and wish them a new year full of light, laughter and love.

The hours following were a wonderfully exhausting blur of faces and conversations as his friends all disappeared into the crowd to mingle. Noctis recognized far more people than he would have expected and someone was almost constantly trying to talk to him, hand him food, ply with with more champagne or convince him to dance to the outstanding live musicians. They succeeded in all but the last and Noctis was a little tipsy when he finally managed to escape out of the main ballroom for a brief respite from the onslaught.

He'd definitely never given his father enough credit for nights like this.

Noctis slipped into the first empty and quiet room he found, realizing belatedly that it was one his father had always referred to as his mother's favorite. That probably explained why even in the middle of an event like this, most people had left it undisturbed, and yet it was still strung with Prompto's tiny glimmering star lights. The room was a library of sorts, three walls lined with shelves of her favorite books, the last with a sofa and in the center, one of the oldest pianos in the kingdom.

From what Noctis knew of his mother, she would have enjoyed a night like this – a brilliant entertainer, his father had described her when he'd asked. Able to captivate a room and befriend just about anyone with her warmth and generosity. He missed her without hardly knowing her – missed them both – and he sat down sideways on the piano bench, long fingers picking out a fragment of an old tune, something about light and stars and wishes...

Noctis yawned and with no one to stop him, found the sofa to be remarkably soft and just long enough for stretching out his aching back on. Somehow it felt like only a year had passed since the last celebration, when, in fact, it had been far, far longer... and Noctis closed his eyes, thinking of the last new year they'd all spent together...

 

* * *

 

_I need to get the hell out of here._

Loosening the tie from around his neck, Noctis scanned around the room for his friends, spotting each of them busy in various locations, caught up in conversations. No one's eyes were currently on him and it seemed like the perfect moment to make his escape form this stupid, stuffy party he hadn't really wanted to attend. He was exhausted, fidgety and craving some space to himself after a night of talking to foreign dignitaries and old family friends pinching his cheeks and photographers' flashes constantly blinding him.  
  
It was easiest to slip out onto one of the balconies above the gardens, away from the hustle and bustle of royal responsibilities. He had no idea how in the world he'd ever be able to manage at something like this if he were actually king and the thought gave him more chills than the actual weather.  
  
Noct's next action was completely impulsive, the slightest bit selfish, and would definitely have gotten him in a shitload of trouble had anyone seen it... but he really didn't give a damn.

Disappearing from the balcony in a flash of blue light, he hovered over the garden for a moment, then the back wall, and with the thrill of doing something he knew was a little reckless, out into and above the city. He knew his own limits, of course, and stopped once halfway home to avoid hitting stasis, catching his breath on the roof of a skyscraper far from prying eyes. The air tasted almost like freedom, if he could ignore the flicker of the wall that often distorted the stars overhead. _SomedayI'm going to spend some time outside this wall..._

Noctis landed on the balcony of his apartment with a heavy stumble, collapsing onto a nearby chair with a giddy and self-satisfied grin, eyes sliding closed. He definitely wasn't expecting the cold nose of a dog pushing into his hand a moment later and he actually jumped half out of the chair before laughing off his own startled reaction. “Umbra! Hey!” He opened his arms for the dog, hugging and fur ruffling before accepting the familiar book carried with him.

 

_Dearest Noctis,_

_I hope the closing of this year finds you well and in good spirits._

_Ahead of us is a new year, ripe with promise and hope._

_Think carefully on your heart's fondest desires as we welcome the dawn, for however you spend the turnover of your year is destined to reflect on how you will spend the rest of it._

_With love & light,_

_Luna_

 

Noctis held the book tight between two hands, heart beating fast, surprised at how he felt … trusted, with these words, with _in_ these words, instead of put upon. Luna always knew how to inspire the very best in him without it feeling like guilt and he scrawled a message back to her, closing the book gently just as a light flipped on behind him, inside his apartment. He ruffled Umbra's fur one last time and then turned to slide open the glass door, stepping into the living room to face the consequences of his impulsiveness.

“TOLDYA!” Prompto's voice rang out first as he pointed accusingly at Noctis, despite the fact that his expression was etched with relief. “I knew he'd just be back at home!”

“Although the question remains as to how he eluded the guards at both the front and rear gates,” Ignis strode past Prompto and into the kitchen, setting down the large brown paper bag he was carrying with a deliberate thunk.

“Ah, whatever,” Gladio added lightly, all while giving Noctis an evil eye that said 'I know _exactly_ how you got here so fast, you little _shit_ , and I'm going to remind you _plenty_ during our session'. “At least he's not dead.”

“I am not amused,” Ignis sent an actual glare in Gladio's direction and finally met Noct's eyes, his expression stern but softer. “We'll discuss this at a later date.”

Noctis rolled his eyes and sighed, throwing himself onto the sofa and kicking his shoes off immediately, dragging his tie off next and flinging over his shoulder into the void. “I'm sorry for worrying you, but I'm not sorry for leaving?”

“Just be honest with us, Noctis,” Ignis said, a little more gently. “Instead of expecting immediate judgement of your feelings.”

Noctis sank a little lower into the couch without actually answering and Prompto flopped down onto the couch beside him, picking up the TV remote and turning it to footage of the Citadel. “It's not like we can't still watch the fireworks and look, we've got – less than ten minutes!”

Gladio seated himself on the arm of the couch, scoffing at the TV. “Why bother? We can still see 'em from the balcony right here.”

Behind them, Ignis popped the cork on a brand new bottle of champagne, pouring it into several glasses he'd retrieved from a nearby cabinet. They weren't the fancy goblets of the Citadel, but they would do well enough. Prompto jumped up to grab two and deliver one to Noctis, and Ignis brought the remaining two, handing one to Gladio.

“And what shall we toast to, Your Highness? Your continued good health and safety in the face of reckless decisions?”

“No death sounds good.” Noctis was still halfway hiding in the sofa, but with these words, he sat up proper, opened his mouth, closed it again... and then shrugged. It wasn't that he didn't know or didn't have feelings about it, but... putting those feelings into actual words?

“Peace,” Gladio said firmly, clinking his glasses against those of his friends. “An end to this war.”  
  
There was a murmured agreement with the sip, and then Prompto added, a warm smile around at all three of them, “Come on, we have to toast to... to being lucky enough to be warm and well-fed and among friends.”

The glasses clinked again as the first firework echoed through the night with a resounding boom and they all jumped up, knocking into each other on their way out to the balcony.  
  
“HAPPY NEW YEAR!” Prompto bellowed out into the city, half-climbing onto the railing and waving his empty glass until Gladio fisted a hand in the back of his jacket, dragging him back down to safety.

“The way you spend your new year is the way you spend your whole year,” Noctis leaned against the wall beside the open door as he watched his friends, swirling the last bit of champagne in his glass around in a slow circle. “So, I hope we can spend the next year just like we are right now, no matter what it brings... As long as we face it together...”

“Then everything will be just fine,” Ignis finished his sentiment as he clinked their glasses one more time, and then they smiled and finished the last sip together.

 

 _o/~ please don't ever become a stranger_  
_whose laugh I could recognize anywhere_  
_hold onto the memories - they will hold onto you ~/o_

 

* * *

 

“Your High – I mean, Your Majesty? Noctis? Noct? _Noct_!”

Noctis startled awake and out of a dream memory, sitting up abruptly and almost knocking foreheads with the person who'd been trying to rouse him from his unintended napping. “Sorry, I didn't mean to – where am – where are -” He blinked a few times, yawning as his mind clicked into recognition.

Cindy only laughed at him, one hand in front of her mouth in an attempt at politeness that wasn't really needed between them and the other waving a piece of paper in his face. “Hated to wake ya, Your Majesty-”  
  
“Oh shit...” Noctis muttered, rubbing one hand across his face before reaching out to take the paper. “I completely forgot to – hope it's not too late?”  
  
“Got a pen right here,” Cindy smiled, holding it out to him before leaning in with a conspiratorial whisper. “I woulda set 'em off anyway and just tracked ya down tomorrow... and you _know_ it.”

Noctis laughed and scrawled his signature across the page before standing, rolling through a little stretch as he did. “Then it's not midnight yet?”

“An hour 'til,” she reached out to straighten first his cloak and then his crown, which had tipped crookedly to one side while he slept. “So ya better get yerself t'where y'need to be before I set off those pretty sparklers. Go on now.” She shooed him back towards the party with a knowing wink that made his cheeks flush just a little.

Noctis hadn't been asleep more than maybe a half hour, but as he stood at the edge of the ballroom, eyes scanning the crowd, he realized that he couldn't find any of his friends within it. None of them had come to wake him and now they were nowhere to be found? Noctis couldn't resist double-checking the kitchens too, and when even that failed to produce anyone, he stopped just outside the ballroom doors and considered.

_...nah, they wouldn't all just cut out of the party without telling me... would they?_

Pulling out his phone, Noctis checked his messages, but there was only one from Prompto, a single firework graphic that exploded over and over on his screen in a rainbow of colors as he stared at it.

_There's a way to find out._

If he was wrong, he'd end up ringing in the new year alone on a probably empty street, but... the butterflies in his chest told him that he wasn't wrong. And if there was anything he'd learned while saving the world from eternal darkness, it was that trusting his intuition... and his friends... was always the best bet.

It was only a momentary detour to lose the crown and grab his jacket and the red scarf, and he jammed his hands into the pockets to keep them warm as he chose to walk across the city this time. The night was frigid and crystal clear, a tapestry of unhindered stars overhead accompanied by twinkling Crystmas lights and electric candles in windows on every street. It was hope and strength even in the darkness, a season and a city awake with life, and he wondered how he could have ever taken it at all for granted.

Noctis could see the light emanating from his penthouse apartment half a block away, but that did nothing to dampen the tears of happy surprise when he actually pushed his front door open.

In the last year, he hadn't had the time to come over here even once... or maybe he hadn't felt like he could. Or should. He'd seen a few pictures of broken windows and dishes and the mess left behind by the shockwaves of the battles that had rocked the city. He'd sent Ignis and other staff over here to retrieve a few things.

Noctis couldn't tell it had ever happened.

The entire apartment was immaculate, just as he'd left it – no, better – because it was decked out to the nines. Prompto's lights were strung everywhere and the large tree in the living room just barely cleared the ceiling. The dining table was laid out in a feast on fine china, the centermost plate elevated and holding the Tenebrae tarts. All around the room, on every spare surface, tiny white votive candles flickered and warmed the room.

_When did you? How did you? Why did you?_

None of these words formed as Noctis stood there stunned, letting his friends take him by the hands and pull him into the room, stripping him of his jacket and cloak.

_I already know why. Because this is home._

“Geez, was starting to think he wouldn't show.”  
  
“Toldya it was dangerous to leave him dozing on that couch.”

“Noctis, are you feeling unwell?”

“You guys...” he choked out, half a laugh and half a sob. “...are the best.”  
  
The three friends folded themselves around Noctis in a tight hug and for a long moment, not one of them said anything at all. This was simply where they all wanted to be, together, safe and warm, and that was more important than anything else.

“...thanks.” Noct's single soft word broke the moment and everyone started moving again at once, Prompto linking an elbow and pulling him over to the table, Ignis pressing one of the tarts into his hand and watching with pride as the king's face lit up with the first bite, Gladio constantly refilling their champagne glasses until every single one of them was giddy, tipsy and a bit silly with happiness.

With mere minutes to go, Noctis stepped out onto the balcony, not wanting to miss the first of the fireworks, and Prompto was right behind him, looping arms around him from behind and laughing softly into his ear. “Hey, Noct?”

Noctis turned in his best friend's arms as Prompto snatched up one hand, pressing a kiss to the ring of stars he'd placed there. “Yeah, Prom?”

“You're brighter than even the Lucian star. Brighter than the crystal. Brighter than _all_ the stars.”  
  
It was not anything the king had been expecting to hear and he both blushed and laughed in response.

“No, I'm serious!” Prompto insisted, taking Noctis by both shoulders, his blue eyes wide, intense and tearing at the edges. “That's what I was thinking, up on that ladder today, and... every year. Every single year.”

An explosion of color overhead interrupted the moment, but Noctis grinned, wide and warm, “Happy New Year, Prom.” The king didn't give him the chance to say it back, taking Prompto's face between his hands and kissing him instead, first softly, with a whisper against his lips of “Love you too” and then again, longer and harder.

“That's our girl!” Gladio cheered the fireworks behind them, pulling Ignis out onto the balcony by one hand and forward into a nose-bumping delighted kiss of their own.

Prompto and Noctis only parted for air when Gladio hip-checked the blond playfully. “Quit hogging the king.”

Noctis laughed, winding his arms around Gladio's neck as he was momentarily lifted off his feet in a tight hug that was immediately followed by a hard and thorough kiss that he'd definitely wanted since this afternoon. Ignis and Prompto exchanged a series of soft and tender kisses beside them until Gladio interrupted again, literally picking Prompto up and hauling him back inside before delivering his new year's kiss.

It left Noctis alone on the balcony with Ignis and he leaned back against the railing, waiting until Ignis slid over next to him, one hand lifting to brush affectionate fingertips across his cheek. There were many things either of them could have said – gratitude, trust... duty, friendship, love – but instead they both smiled, leaning in to seal their loyalty with their lips instead.

The last firework faded away as they parted and Noctis shivered a little. “...couldn't have done it without you, Iggy,” he whispered, heart hammering quick and light in his chest, too grateful to explain his meaning. Ignis would know, anyway.

“You could have,” Ignis disagreed with a slight shake of his head. “But it was better that we did it _together_.”

They made their way back inside together, closing the door behind them, content with the glowing haven they'd all created for themselves tonight.

Prompto bounced off of Gladio's lap with flushed cheeks and immediately took Noctis by the hand, pushing him down onto the couch beside his shield. Straddling his best friend's lap and burying hands in his hair, Prompto covered his face in a succession of tiny adoring kisses until Noct laughed again and stopped thinking of anything other than the moment. Prompto's kiss was warm and confident, his tongue slipping out to tease at Noct's lips until the king gave in, fisting a hand in Prompto's hair and kissing him hot and open-mouthed in return, all need and desire. Nimble fingers slipped open the buttons of his shirt one by one and Prompto broke away to trail a line of kisses down Noct's throat and over his collarbone before leaving a possessive mark over his heart.

Besides giving Noctis a moment to catch his breath, Prompto swirling a tongue around his nipple also gave him a perfect view of their friends beside them, Ignis in Gladio's lap, both already shirtless and completely lost in a kiss so heated it made Noct's toes curl. As much as he loved kissing any of them, he also couldn't help but be aroused watching them love each other with equal fervor.

As if he sensed the king's eyes on them, Ignis broke away from the kiss, his glasses long removed, and leaned his forehead against Gladio's as he watched Prompto descend on Noctis, whose back arched off the couch with a hiss of pleasure when his best friend's mouth closed hot around the head of his cock. “Fuck, Prom...” Noctis moaned, hands raking through blond hair as his head tipped back against the couch.

“In the bedroom would be more comfortable,” Ignis suggested in response and Gladio agreed with a deep, throaty chuckle.

Prompto pulled back with one glassy-eyed lick to the tip and laughed a little in sheer pleasure before pulling his own shirt off over his head, flinging it aside. He offered Noct a hand and pulled him to his feet, where Ignis promptly slid the shirt from his shoulders, Gladio dragged his pants off his hips and they all kissed and stumbled their way to Noct's bedroom, shedding any clothing that remained.

The candles continued there, giving just enough glow to see by, and Gladio picked Noctis up, tossing him down on the bed. Prompto immediately straddled him again, grinding his hips down into Noct's and sliding their cocks hard against each other as Noct's hand curled around the curve of his ass to keep him there. Kneeling on the bed beside them, Gladio stroked a hand down his own cock before fisting a hand in Prompto's hair, gently pulling his mouth towards it. Prompto shifted easily to give him what he asked for, teasing with his tongue until Gladio's hand brushed over Noct's, down Prompto's ass, pressing a thick finger up inside to urge him on.

Noctis slid a hand across the bed to reach for Ignis, eyes heavy-lidded with lust, and Ignis acquiesced to the demand, shifting closer until Noctis could touch him, curling a hand around his cock and stroking it hard and slow until Ignis let out a hiss between his teeth. Their eyes locked and Noct pleaded silently until Ignis swung a leg over him, sinking his arousal into the heat of Noct's mouth with a shudder.

It was Gladio who stopped them before anyone could get too carried away, laughing at Prompto's whine of protest when he pulled away. Noctis was far too occupied with the weight and heat of Ignis down his throat to have any idea what was happening until he felt Prompto shift, re-aligning them until he could sink his ass onto Noct's cock with a moan that cut right through all of them.

The king choked and gasped and Ignis pulled back, brushing the hair from his face and telling him gently, “Breathe, Noct...”

Noctis dragged in a ragged breath as Ignis climbed off the bed and Prompto pulled off him... only to let it go in an equally ragged moan when his hips slammed down again, burying Noct deeper inside his ass. It was already too good, too much - but never enough - by the time Noctis felt Ignis' sure and steady fingers split him open. Prompto fell forward, riding Noctis harder as Ignis' fingers pushed in deeper and then he panted loudly. “Fuck, you guys, I – I'm gonna-”

Noct's hands were free again and he took Prompto's face between them, pulling him down into a messy kiss that tasted of all three of them. “No, you're not,” Noctis whispered against his lips as he felt Ignis' fingers withdraw, replaced by the head of his cock at Noct's entrance. “Not until I say so.”

Prompto whined again and Gladio laughed from over Ignis' shoulder, where he was sucking a dark mark into his lover's pale skin while opening him up with strong and practiced strokes.  
  
“Noctis...” Ignis caught his king's eyes over Prompto's shoulder, his hands spreading Noct's ass as he asked softly. “May I?”  
  
“ _Please_.” Noctis struggled the word out as Ignis thrust inside him, and for a moment, all he saw was stars, beautifully caught as he was between the two of his lovers. Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes as he gasped out his pleasure and Ignis stilled, giving all three of them a moment to adjust, to enjoy, to revel.

Gladio came around the side of the bed at that moment, bending over Noctis to kiss him, a slow and deep twirl of their tongues that stole what little air the king had left, leaving him dizzy and desperate for release. “Your Majesty,” he whispered against Noct's lips.

“My King,” Ignis echoed the sentiment, his hand a gentle caress against Noct's trembling thigh as Gladio resumed his previous position behind him.

Prompto lifted his face from where he'd had it buried against Noct's shoulder and caught Noct's gaze, letting himself get lost in a blue darker, deeper and richer than the winter sky. “Love you so much, Noct. We all do.”

“And I love all of you,” Noctis breathed out and then Gladio thrust in, the force rippling through all them in a shared wave of pleasure. Words dissolved into sighs and moans and the sound of skin on skin, any movement made being shared by each of them as they drove each other slowly towards the edge of oblivion. The king gave in and gave all to his lovers first, his hands finding Prompto's and squeezing as euphoria rushed him like a tsunami that overtook all of them in its wake.

Dawn found the saviors of light absolutely sound asleep with no desire to witness its golden light breaking through clouds of indigo and rose to shine upon them.

Noctis and Prompto were curled into each other, hands intertwined, Gladio draped halfway over the blond and Ignis curled protectively around the king's back, all of them buried underneath an enormous fuzzy blanket.

It was the start of a new year and they were precisely where they wanted to be.

 

  
_o/~ I will wait for you... and I would give the world to you ~/o_

 

**Author's Note:**

> With thanks and love to my chocobros and Final Fantasy XV for making 2017 truly incredible.


End file.
